10 Skills Students Should Master Before Graduation

10 Skills Students Should Master Before Graduation

6 months ago

By Asya Gadzheva

1. Time management.

You can never really measure how time flies until you have procrastinated an essay for half a semester. University is a good place to realise the fundamental importance of time management skills. It is not only about attaining work-life balance or multi-tasking efficiency, keeping track of and managing your time will save you a lot of headaches, confusions and anxieties when it comes to life in the professional world.

2. Social skills.

Communication is a human necessity and doing it well can get you a long way. Grasping different conversation patterns related to different social situations is essential for thriving in a personal and professional aspect. Being able to sustain an engaging conversation is a great ice breaker, while the skill of communicating ideas fluently will assist any career aspiration. Just remember that joking and sarcasm are social skills too.

3. Listening.

How many of us actually listen to understand rather than to reply? The art of listening can really set apart a good conversationalist and a good friend. Listening to people is a learning process. It is also a demonstration of respect for the speaker. Learning to listen and pay attention is essential for building relationships and gaining people’s trust. Let’s face it, a good listener is always more pleasant to talk to.

Sometimes it is up to you to take the initiative and make something happen. In life, it is often the case when you have to push yourself to do or achieve something. It is in those moments that we grow as people. Getting into the habit of cultivating an initiative by yourself will liberate you from relying excessively on other people’s motivation. Self-initiative teaches discipline and originality in problem-solving that will serve you well in adult life.

5. Coping with failure.

Life is a journey and hitting a dead end or having a door slammed in your face is not the end of the line. You fail. You learn. You do better. Failure and rejection can hurt but, alas, they will always be there. How you react to them is what determines how much you will actually learn. There is a dose of positivism here. Treating it as a lesson for the future makes it lighter but also teaches you to look on the bright side. That is always a good approach to life.

This one is a core module. People who adapt to their situation and surroundings live better, cleverer and frankly, more peacefully. Adaptability and flexibility in dealing with different circumstances are highly beneficial for one’s psychological health and resilience, as they are related to the ability to cope with and overcome difficulties. Essentially, life is one long lesson in adaptability and the sooner you make a head start the better.

7. Self-preservation.

Think of it as a form of healthy selfishness. It exists and it’s fine. Self-preservation is somewhat linked to survival and covers the individual’s instinct towards looking after and caring for himself and his needs. Shielding yourself from harmful influences or toxic people is essential for your wellbeing. It is a matter of stability and state of mind. To be clear, it does not make you a bad person. It is advanced preservation.

8. Punctuality.

Being fashionably late has been going out of fashion. It is said that punctuality is a virtue and when it comes to making an impression it certainly is. Even though it is largely due to organisation and time management, punctuality plays a key role in day-to-day tasks. People value punctuality because it signifies reliability, initiative and trustworthiness. Isn’t that what we all want to convey?

Refusal is wrongly labelled as an act of rudeness and neglect. Actually, it has much more to do with selectivity. Not all people reaching out to you deserve your helping hand. Refusal in that sense is an act of rational decision making, preventing any attempt to take advantage of one’s good will. Learning to say NO when you deem necessary is a very good tactic for dealing with manipulators, while looking after your own interests.

10. Stress management

Chances are, you would have had some experience with stress control during your time at university. It is part of the package but also a good training for what lies ahead. Life is a prolonged stressful event, which can get the best of you if you don’t take control. As well as your wellbeing, stress management also affects the ability to meet and cope with challenges and tackle issues. Quite useful for any future or soon to be graduate’s survival kit.